The government is likely to bring at least five bills, including one on eradicating human sacrifice, black magic and ‘Aghori’ practices, as well as another on auctioning the vehicles caught under the Gujarat Prohibition Act during the three-day Monsoon Session of Gujarat Assembly starting today.
A meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of the Assembly was held on Tuesday in the presence of Speaker and BAC Chairman Shankar Chaudhary, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Congress Legislature Party leader Amit Chavda.
During the Monsoon Session, the government will introduce Gujarat Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and Other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Bill. Earlier this year, in reply to a public interest litigation moved before Gujarat High Court, the government had said that it will bring a law on the subject.
The other Bill to be introduced will be on amending the Gujarat Prohibition Act, under which state agencies will get the authority to auction vehicles confiscated in liquor prohibition cases. The government has already promulgated an ordinance in this regard.
Further, the government is expected to bring two bills to amend the Gujarat Goods and Services Tax Act and Gujarat Private Universities Act. The fifth Bill is likely to amend the special courts Act to empower state agencies to confiscate disproportionate assets of accused in cases of corruption.
The Opposition Congress, meanwhile, has been objecting to the government summoning the session on short notice — the state had announced on August 6 that the Monsoon Session will begin from August 21.
A senior official said, “According to Gujarat Legislative Assembly rules, it is mandatory to give not less than 21 days of notice to have a starred question answered during a session. Since the dates of this session were announced on August 6, this condition is not fulfilled and therefore, there will not be any discussion on starred questions.”
Chavda told mediapersons on Tuesday, “We protested in the BAC meeting today… Because the government did not summon the session in advance, starred questions have been excluded. Now, we are asking questions on short notice, but those questions are also being cancelled under the rule that the concerned minister has not given his consent.”
“Our notices for discussion on matters of urgent attention (under rule 116 of Gujarat Legislative Assembly Rules) are also not being admitted. The government does not want discussion on any matter. They are stifling the people’s voice by muffling the Opposition’s voice. For the first day, we had submitted 16 questions (on short notice), but only one or two have been admitted,” he said.
Chavda said they raised questions related to the Rajkot TRP Game Zone fire, recent killing of two tribals in Ekta Nagar and drug menace, among others, but they were rejected.
During the session, the House is expected to share condolence messages over the demise of former Assembly members as well as former state Governor Kamla Beniwal who died in May.
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